Hi
I am new to forum and glad I found this place.
I have been searching for a way to add a secondary password to a preference pane such as date/time in Unix (Ox10.4.11) or to lock an application which I found a backdoor for access when password is not available. An app I use is a internet filter that allows a temporary password to be accessed for a particular calendar date. In lieu of the originator fixing the bug I found, I would rather just add a second password somehow over and above the administrator one it uses so as to prevent access being made by temporarily changing computer date and being abl to get into control panel of the app.
In unix is it possible to add another password say with a short terminal script that would then make it impossible to get into date and time panel w/o it?? I know this sounds funny but I'm also the administrator. It becomes really difficult if I either "lose" admin password to computer, or if I add another account and make it the administrator and don't have acceses. Unfortunately I have no one that can do administration for me and losing administration causes headaches and aggravating problems trying to do everyday maintenance. Thanks
Do you know how date and time panel are being launched?
If you do there is nothing stopping you to move or rename the executable and you writing a script to launch the application, not forgetting to include your passwd request...
Thanks for answering. The program I am using is k9 web protection which uses a temporary password retrieval system which is tied to the date but works for any year. ie: I know one useable with June 15th. OS X of course allows you to lock preference for date and time, but that would only work if I had an administrator which I don't. The best idea I could come up with since they have permanent table of 365 temporary passwords is to have a script that would ask for a second password over and above either the regular one you pick for the app. , or if I was so inclined to change date, gain access, and then reset. the current one set within the app. I am only familiar with the lines of instructions needed to flush cache in terminal, and what can be done in single user, say with something like applejack. Other than that I know little about what lines I need to write...besides I would need to somehow make it permanent, other than erasing with the OS10 install disc.
Thanks again.
Do you mind if I move this thread to what I believe a more suitable forum? (Mac OSX...)
Here it seems to not inspire much...
No go ahead. Thanks
What are we dealing with? OS version ? What kind of mac, a server? or a workstation?
When you say you have no administrator, who are you talking of? An account named so?
OS 10.4.11 G4 desktop w/sonnet 1.6ghz processor 2gb ram. I run it as
single user. if I try adding a fake admin account ( and not saving it's pwd) as I mentioned earlier ,then I cannot do maintenance. I also found that it causes kernel failures sometimes with Toast when I might be adding dvd movie onto my HD, watching existing, or burning a disc. somehow seems to happen regardless which accounts are setup initially.
Hopefully there is way to have system prompt for a second or even a third! password if trying to access date preference.
Im a beginner in mac... I bought last year a G4 1.6 GHz power book and started to use it 2 months ago at work when my pc fails... Not used yet to the keyboard (looking for Chars when writing scripts...) because of its stability I bought last month a G5 quad core (Im typing on it now... configured last week for I was waiting for my new screen to arrive) I have some strange issues with screen ( new screen faulty or graphic card???).
I solved the problem by creating a extra user account for me and one for guests...
I gave my user acccount the right in sudoers to su my account (which has admin rights...), put on my desktop X console and terminal (like on my powerbook which I use to connect to other UNIX boxes I administer...) since I have no idea how a mac works and learning slowly, I do my stuff in command ext mode and happy to use vi (I am sure there is a hidden notepad somewhere...).
You would have to untick automatic connection (which would log you as you (admin)).
and choose to login as simple user...
What do you think?
As I said adding a admin acct that I don't keep the login and logging in as simple user does not allow me to run MacTuneup, clear logs, etc. Only disc permissions can be run.
I need a way to lock date/time panel w/o adding an admin. I was looking for fileguard/filelock today but apple has changed what they offer for downloads and most of those are not free. I still think there must be a way to have a prompt for a second password. All of this since developers of the app don't seem to want to update the way passwords are used nor rearrange the temporary pwd list they use. I cannot get a temp password since I purposely did not keep pwd to email address i set for it. Until such time as they do so ( i've been waiting a year already!) I need to lock date to keep me out...unfortunately its too easy for me to change to date I have pwd for...tough to forget it !!!. I thought of trashing prefpane but that would probably crash the system.
I'll stop just short of saying this is impossible, but honestly, you are trying to resolve a lost password issue with the application of more passwords?
If you have the ability to change the access to the date and time preference pane, what stops you from changing that back?
Here is the simplest solution. Don't change the date and time.
Here is a slightly more difficult solution. Change the privileges for the date and time preference pane so only root has execute permissions.